Device for tapping pipes



July 7, 1931. W. 1 TELL 1,812,907

DEVICE FOR TAPPING PIPES Filed Jan. 13, 1950 A TT ORNE YS VPatented July 7, 1931 wrIzLIAM JJTELL; oF DETRomlMroHrGANf AApplication lei lanary :'13, 1930sk Serial-No. 420,344.- l

",Tii'siimerfeomaiiee to means idealisten- 1 The manohjects of. this' invention" are 'to a provide "an 'improved ,device fortapp1ngja Waterpipe; topigovldea "device Wlilchis Sim plgefin'constru'ctionjand jeeient in operation;

lo a' watertight 'seal wit'hthe-pipe without 11E-he' a'dfo'f gasketsor other perishable partsfand` to provide a device of 'this 'charactcrwliich canfbe applied toca water pipe Withoutthe use'of special t'ools. i

i A11 illustrative embodiment of I'this''inven-A tion is shown' in theaccompanyng drawings',' in .-Wliic'li V Fig. 1'is a 'fragmentary top plan 4v-ivewfoi.v my improved device installed on a Water pipe' and humidifier. v

Fig is a vievv in side ele'vation ofthe saine. "Figiy3ds any enlargedplanyievv showing the'flrilll'in initial positionv before boring 2N through theJpipe. D

the saine taken onf a planeperpendicular to' the plan-e ofthe iigureshwn inYFigfa-nd with the drill vin final position.

Heretofore in tleconstruction of vdevices u'sedfffor tapping Water pipes, it has been necessary tov provide gaskets and lthelile foi' securingia IWalter-tight vconnection afterv the pipe 'has been` drilled' into. These construe tions have been found unsatisfactory dueto. the perishability of tliegasketsi and!subsequent leakage', andi also reasonv othe-rela\ tivelyfliigh .costv of? devices h aving; La mu-lf.

tiplicityofparts; 4 n

Inv my.E .present constructiongil 'provide ra,

0' tubular drill .which may beoperated Withoutf the use oli4 special tools,f: and which.' is` To@ tatabfly and axially'movable in ai clamp'which may: be readily"secuiedwtofa 'Watenpipeif (i5 Means are provided `forffeedirrg theidrill into theV pipe at. the: :sa-me time"` fth'ao th'e-drill is rotated'. 'Whens .the l'pipe has; -be'enldrilled n through, lthe'. drill Fis :further advafnced,4 and* by: reason: fof-its outside graduated-diameter; 2

5o WillY eilectually plugx thehclefwhichhs been"-y Fi'gg isalongitudinal 'sectional vievv ofv dfiiieeinw the pre, wit-murine 'aia/0f" gas-:r

ketsorvotlirperi's eblepar'ts? Ink the` oon'struction'sh'own' in 'the drawings; a ,yoke clamp 5 having 'an exteriorly threade d shanl isprovi'de'd with a set scr'evvi' threfadi ed therethrough" at" 'the' "side "of 'th'e "claihp which is" diametrically .opposite 'to the shank 6:1' The ',cl'ainp 5 is adapted to' embrace "a:

Waterpipe 8 andloe securelylheld-there'on Y thesetscrevr( Thai-3` portion of the c lajm'p adjacent the shank 6 is-provided Wit'han integrally :formed: linger `9 Which' `cooperates with them-ain nbody fof the clamp for embrac-V inerhe'pipes: Thel clamp: 5 'angifshank' 'have a'bore' 10 extending-.'therethrough', which. is 'iniax'ial" alignmentwith `the Vsetlsclevv 7, and Whichisy adaptedtojrotatably receive a tubul'ar" drill 11'. Tl'ie'driljl 11 isibolh rotatably axially movable'within the bore 10, and t'lienner end thereof"is"provided"'vvith a cutting falce 12'; Means" are `'provided for efe'ctually sealing t'h'el holema'de bythe cutting end '12 of the drill `11, anfdf coinp'risesa shoulder 13A of grad uatfedfouts'ide!diameter; formed adj acent" the cutting end 12 of the drill 11.' In the forni showvmthis' lsliulder` is radiuse'd, but "a Staperedshoulder'wouldserve the isain'e' purpose;Y

The drill 11 is provided fwith'a'raldi''lly" exiteiidigy annular shoulder! '14 which -is adeptedfto'*be-engaged byj the inturned Y'an-- mil-arfi'iigeidl of an interiorly threaded' sleeve 16;' The-sleevel isadapted tothread onthe'ex'teriorly threaded 'shank 6, thus pro` vidingme'ansoi" feeding the tubular drill tiiig itto be'rotated due to the" swivel co'Ii-' nection-'formed bythe shoulder 14 and inturned-'ha'hge 15. .Y p

That-portion ofthe drillllfoutward from the shoulde'iV 14* is preferably of squared' out#4 side formation", as' shown 'at '17', so that a Wrench-may bc'appli'ed'the'reto 'for rotating thedrill during the drilling 'operationlk The' extreme outer'en'd of thefdrillfbeyondl the outwardly flared yend oif a luidsupplyfpipe 2U thereto.V- TheA pipe 20' supplies 'Water to' an' interiorly the bore 21 which extends axially through the 'drill 11.

I have shown and described my invention as applied to means'for automatically maintaining a kpredetermined water level a humidifier, which comprises an elongated horizontally disposed body member 22 which has a longitudinally extending bore 23 drilled therethrough. The inner end of the bore 23 is provided with a valve assembly, generally designated at24, which is preferably rthe well-known type of air valve used in the valve stems of pneumatic tire tubes. `vThe.-

valve stem 25l of this Vvalve assembly protrudes beyond the inner end of-thebody 22, and is in position tobe engaged and actuated by a flat arm 26 pivotallymountedat 27 be'- tween a pair of `upstanfdingarms 28 aiid`29 integrally formed on the top side of the body 22 `closely Y adjacent they inner `end thereof.

The opposite or outer endof the body'22 is Vexteriorly threaded as shown at'30 tov receive aninteriorly threaded nut 31 which clamps the'outwardly flared end of a water,` supply pipe 32against the'outerface of said thread-V ed end. Y Y

' v'Means aren provided for securing the bodyV clamped in contact'with the inner wall of the humidifier. "A set screw 37 vis threaded through the lower end of thearm 35 in po,- sition to engage the outer surface of the humidifier 33`in a position directly opposite to the teethA 36.

` The float arm 26 is provided withthe'usual hollowfball float 38, whichswings 'the arm 26 in a vertical plane.

'In the operation ofV this device, the clamp i yoke 5 is placed around a water supply pipe v 8 and the set screw 7 turned until the clamp is securely in position on the pipe. The tubular drill 11 is then inserted into the bore 10 and -the'sleeve 16 threaded on to the shank 6 until the inturned flange 1 5 ,engages the shoulder 1llof the drill and presses the outting yend 12 of thedrill against the pipe; wrenchis applied to the sleeve 16,'which may be of hexagonal exterior shape, and another wrench applied to the squared portion 17 lof the'drill. The drill'is Vnow rotated vby the wrench on the squared portion thereof, and at the same time is fed or moved axially toward the pipe 8 by gradually screwing up the 'sleeve 1 6. When the drill has bored its way.

through the wall of the pipe 8 the sleeve 16 is screwed on down onthe shank 6 until the graduated shoulder v13 adjacent the Ainner end of the drill enters the hole ,which has been bored through the pipe, and wedges tightly therein, thus securing anl etfectually water Vtight seal with the pipe without the aidV of gaskets.

It will be noted that the end of the drill bore 21 which communicates with the interior of the pipe 8, is of smaller size than the remainder of the bore, so that any of the particlesof metal drilled from the pipe 8 which may get into the bore 21, will be readily flushed out. If any of the particles of drilling should become wedged in the inner end of this bore, :they may be readily dislodged by inserting a piece of wire thro-ugh the tubular drill.

rlhe body 22 which carries the valve. assemblyl and float contro-l mechanism Vis attached Vto the upstanding rim of the humidifier 33 by the set screw 37 and the two devices may be readily placed in communication with each other by suitable pipes 32, or a single pipe may be used to couple these devicesv together. Annealed' copper tubing is very suitable for this purpose, as the ends kthereof may be secured by clamping 'nuts 19'and 31 so as to make a water tight "connection without threading the ends.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details o-f the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims. v

1. The combination of a clamp adapted to embrace a pipe, `a Vdrill member journaled on said clamp and axially movable with respect thereto, a member having a'swivel engagement with said drill andlthreaded'engagement with said clampI for axially moving said drill, said drill having a bore therethrough and a portion of graduated outside diameter adjacent the cutting end thereof for sealing the hole made by said drill when plugged thereinto.

2. The combination of a yoke clamp adapted tof embrace a pipe, an exteriorly threaded shank on said clamp, said clamp and shank having a bore extending therethrough, a set screw threaded in said clamp at the side thereof diametrically opposite to saidbore, a tubular drill rotatable and axially slidable in` said bore, a sleeve threaded 4on said shank having swivel engagement with said drill S91" @W threaded in Said Clamp at the side there- "f "l Cin lOO

of diametrieally opposite to said bore, a tubular drill rotatable and axially slidable in Ysaid bore, a Gireumferentially extending annular shoulder on said drill, a sleeve threaded on said shank, an inturned annular flange on Said sleeve sWivelly engaging said drill shoulder for moving said drill axially, the outer surface adjacent the outer end of said drill being of graduated diameter for sealing the Y l hele made by said drill when plugged thereinto.

WILLIAM J. TELL. 

